Shipping case and supporting frame for refrigerating apparatus



Feb. 20, 1934. E, HElTMAN 5 AL 1,947,850

SHIPPING CASE AND SUPPORTING FRAME FOR REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Filed April 8, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet l a H 0 k Q Q V Q v N n 3; kg N INYJENTORS Feb. 20; 1934. rf ET AL 1,947,850

SHIPPING CASE AND SUPPORTING FRAME FOR REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Filed April 8, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Q INVENTORS flow/wan HE/TMfl/Y HND Hen/we ll SAC/r A TTORNE Y.

'Paten ted Feb. 2o,

. UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE w I 1m smrrma cassllm'n surroa'rma ram .ron anrnrasasrmo mm'rps mm Hcltman and Arthur n; Sack, Detroit.

Mich assign'ors to Kelvinator Corporation, Detroit, Mich, a corporation of Mich an Application April 8, 1931. Serial No. 528,502

' comm. (01211 -36) This invention relates to refrigerating appa- I ratus and more particularly to a,shiDl 1n8 case for such apparatus which may also be used as a supporting frame therefor.

5 At the present time there are two general types of domestic mechanical refrigerators. The older and more common type is that in which thecondensing unit is positioned in a compartment at the bottom of the cabinet. This type of struc- 10 ture is sometimes varied by locating the condensing unit exteriorly of the cabinet, although installations of this kind are fast becoming obsolete. The other general type of mechanical refrigerator is one in whichthe condensing unit is placed on top of the cabinet or in the upper part thereof. In the latter-type the condensing unit is customarily rigidly connected to the cool- 7 Heretofore it has not been practical to trans-' port the refrigerating apparatus employed in the other type of mechanical refrigerator in which the condensing unit is disposed in a compartment at the bottom of a cabinet, as a unit, because of the likelihood of damage to the flexible conduits connecting the condensing unit to the cooling unit andbecause of the difliculty of handling these two parts as a unit while joined together only by flexible tubing.

This invention accordingly 'has as its principal object the provision of a structure ":adaptedfor use as a shipping case and supporting frame for refrigerating apparatus of this type whereby such apparatus 'may be satisfactorily handled and transported'without breaking the connections between the condensing unit and the cooling unit. By the use of this invention it is possible to retain the advantages of the mechanical refrigerator having a condensing unit at the bottom portion thereof while at the same time the advantages resulting from locating the condensing unit at the top 'of the cabinet are made available.

In the drawings: 5

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the shipping case embodying thisinvention in its closed position for the refrigerating apparatus secured thereto;

Figure 3 is an end view in elevation showing the refrigerating apparatus on the supporting frame in position to be inserted into a refrigerator cabinet: w co Figure 4 is a front view of a refrigerator cabinet showing the refrigerating apparatus in position within the cabinet.

, The shipping'case 10 embodying this. invention is'prefe'rably formed of wood and comprises a substantially rectangular box having solid side walls and spaced slats forming its other walls. The bottom wall of the case consists'of a pinrality ofspaced slats. 11 held together by cross members 12. .The cross members are secured to. the slats 11 by means of nails 13. Oneend wall 14 is rigidly secured to the slats 11 forming the bottom wall. The wall 14 comprises a pairof spaced upright slats 15 joined together by means of three cross members 16. The members 16 are 76 nailed to the slats 15 by nails 17. The end wall 14 is further strengthened by a cross member 20 positioned on the opposite side of the vertical members 15 from the cross members 16 and secured to both of these members by means of 80 bolts 21. A groove 22 is provided at one end of the member 20 for a purpose to be described presently. The-lower cross member 16 extends beyond the lower extremity of the upright memhers is which rest upon the bottom wall mam-'- as bers 11 and is fastened to the members 11 as" well as the uprightmembers. I The Joint between the end .wall 14 and the bottom wall is made rigid by means of a bracket 18 comprising a strip of sheet metalhaving flanged edges one of which s secured to the vertical end wall bymeans of bolts 19, the other being secured to one of the cross members 12 of the bottom wallby similar bolts.

secured to the end wall by means of hinges 32 which are fastened to the respective walls by bolts33.' ,1

The end wall 26 consists of a pair of cross members 28 secured to three spaced vertical members 29 by means of nails 30. A thirdvertical member 31 is positioned between the cross memmovably hers 28 and secured to these members and the middle vertical member 29. The end wall 26 is rigidly secured to the top wall by means of a sheet metal plate 18 identical with the plate used for securing the end wall 14 to the bottom wall. The end wall 26 is preferably detachably secured to the bottom wall by means of remov- 3? projecting through the frame members and into openings 38 provided for that purpose in the members 29, 23, 15 and 11. The side walls when in position are adapted to secure the shipping case 10 in a closed position without the use of the screws 33a, heretofore described as being adapted to detachably secure the end wall 26 to the bottom wall.

When the side walls are removed and the screws 33a. withdrawn, in the event that they are used, the end wall 26 and the top wall may be rotated counterclockwise from the position shown in Figure 1 to the position shown in Figures 2 and 3. It may be secured in this latter position by removing the removable lateral member 2'1, forming a part of the top wall and positioned between the members 23, and dropping it down through the opening between the cross members 18 and 20forming a part of the endwall 14. In this position the member 2'7 prevents the top wall from being rotated to its closed position. When it is desired to close the case again, the lateral member 2'7 is withdrawn from the position shown in Figure 3. The top wall and the end wall 26 may then be rotated in clockwise manner to the position shown in Figure 1 and the removable side walls secured in place' by means of the bolts 37.

The case 10 when opened as illustrated in Fi ures 2 and 3 is designed to support a refrigerating apparatus for a mechanical refrigerator in relatively the same position that that apparatus will occupy in the refrigerator. The size of the shipping case will accordingly vary with the size of the refrigerator cabinet and the refrigeratins apparatus. In Figure 3 the shippi case 10 is shown positioned in front of a cabinet 39. The refrigerating apparatus supported by the frame 10, which will be described more in detail presently, is adapted to be'placed within the cabinet 39 as illustrated in Figure 4.

The refrigerating apparatus supported by the frame 10 and adapted to be positioned within the refrigerator cabinet 39. consists of a condensing unit 40 and a cooling unit 41 operativeiy connected together by refrigerant conduits 42 and 43. The condensing unit40 is built upon a base 44, and consists ofa compressor 45, a motor 46 operatively connected to the compressor-by means of a belt 4'7, a refrigerant condenser 48. and 'a liquid receiver 49. Cooling air 'is passed through the condenser'48 by means of a fan 46a carried by the shaft ofthe motor '46. The condensing unit '40 is securely fastened'to the bottom A of the shipping case 10 by means of bolts 54 projecting through openings in the base 44, the cross secured in position by means of bolts members 12, and the lateral members 11. Nuts 55 lock the bolts 54 in position.

The cooling unit 41 comprises a header or vaporizer 50 having a plurality of parallel depending pipe loops 51 connected thereto. The pipe loops enclose a sheet metal freezing tray sleeve 52 divided into two compartments by a horizontal partition 53. A bracket 44 isprovided on the exterior surface of the freezing tray sleeve 52 for the reception of a thermostat element. Liquid refrigerant is delivered to the vaporizer 50 from the liquid receiver 49 by means of the conduit 42. The suction linej43 Joins the outlet opening in the vaporizer .50 to the low side of the compressor 45. g The conduits 42 and 43 are fitted into the slot 22 provided at one end of the cross member 20. The cooling unit 41 is secured to the frame 10 by means of hanger straps 56 carried by the vaporizer 50 which. are adapted-to receive the free extremities of bolts 54 projecting through the members 29. Nuts 55 secure the hanger straps in position on the bolts and against the members 29. a The shipping case and supporting frame 10 is used in the following manner. The refrigerating apparatus including the condensing unit 40,'the

cooling unit 41 and the refrigerant conduits 42 and 43 is secured to the frame 10 in the manner already described while the frame is in the posi-' tion illustrated in Figure 2. Removable panel 2'! is then withdrawn from the position shown in Figure 3, and the top wall and end wall 28 of the frame rotated in clockwise manner to the position illustrated in Figure 1. The panel 2'! is then secured in position as part of the top wall. The conduits 42 and 43 are prevented from being damaged when the case is closed as'illustroted in Figureibyreason oftheirbeingsecuredinthe notch 22. After the top wall and end wal1 26 are rotated to the position shown in Figure 1, the side walls are secured in place by means of the bolts 37. The screws 33:: may then be inserted if desired as additional securing means for the 'end wall. The refrigerating apparatus in the into the groove between the cross munbers 20 and '16 to lock the frame in itsopen position.

. Before the refrigerating apparatus is moved into the cabinet 39 it is made completely ready to operate. by the opening of suitable valves and by the addition of a fuse box 5'1 to the motor 46. The fuse box has two electric cables 58 and 59 connected thereto. The cable 58 is provided. with an electric plug at its free extremity which is adapted to be inserted into the conventional 13:! wall socket. The free extremity of the cable 59 terminates in a thermostat switch 60.- The temperature responsive element 61 of the thermostat 60 is adapted to be clampinglyreceived by the clamps 54carried on theexterior surface of the freezing tray sleeve 52. when the refrigerating apparatus is properly prepared for insertion into the cabinet 39,.the bolts 54 securing the condensing unit to the bottom wall of the case 10 are removed andthe condensing unit is placed in the machinery compartment 63 of the refrigerator cabinet. Suitable securing means, not shown, are provided for securing the condensing unit in position within the cabinet. After the condensing unit has been installed, the l acme bolts 54 securing the cooling unit 41 to the end wall 26 of the frame are removed and the cooling unit is positioned within the refrigerating compartment 63 of the cabinet 39. The cooling 6 unit 41.is secured in position within the compartment 63 by the hanger straps used to secure it to the frame 10; Bolts depending from the top wall of the refrigerating compartment 63 are adapted to project through openings in the hanger straps 56. The straps are secured in position on the bolts by the nuts 55 used in securing the cooling unit to the frame 10. Refrigerant conduits 42 and 43 and the electrical cable 59 are placed in a groove in the doorframe of the 'ing. The mechanical refrigerator is then ready for use. The refrigerating apparatus may be readily removed from the cabinet 89 by reversing the procedure just described.

From the foregoing description it will be apparent that this invention provides means whereby refrigerating apparatus of the type wherein the condensing unit is disposed in the lower portion of a. refrigerator cabinet and the cooling unit in the upper portion thereof may be readily removed as a single unit and transported in that condition without injury to the refrigerating apparatus. Refrigerating apparatus of this type is thereby made more accessible for repairs and replacement.

What is claimed is,

l. A shipping case for refrigerating apparatus comprising a substantially rectangular box'having removable" side walls, a bottom wall adapted to support a refrigerant condensing unit and rigcabinet 39 which is closed by a removable mold-f idly secured to an end wall, a top wall rigidly secured to the opposite end wall, said lastmentioned end wall being adapted to support a refrigerant cooling unit and being detachably secured to the bottom wall, and means for rotatably securing the top wall to the first mentioned end wallwhereby the end wall' supporting the refrigerant cooling unit may be swung upwardly to ahorizontal position.

2. A shipping case for refrigerating apparatus comprising a substantially rectangular box having removable side walls, a bottom wall adapted to support" a refrigerant condensing unit and secured to an end wall, a top wall rigidly secured to the opposite end wall, said last mentioned end wall being adapted to support a refrigerant cooling unit and being detachably secured to the bottom-wall, means for rotatably securing the top wall to the first mentioned end wall whereby the end wall supporting the refrigerant cooling unit may be swung upwardly to a horizontal position, and means for securing the said end wall in the horizontal position.

3. A shipping case comprising a substantially rectangular box having removable side walls, an end wall detachably secured to a bottom wall, a top wall hinged to the opposite end wall whereby the top wall may be moved to a vertical position, and a removable slat in the top wall adapted to slide into a groove in the end wall whereby the top wall may be secured in a vertical position.

4 EDWARD HEITMAN.

ARTHUR H. SACK. 

